Marina, harbour and tourism
Marinas and harbours need harbour masters, staff for the docks, crane and travel lift, and people for guests, the office and watersports.
Open positionsCertificates and recognition
- Time to first job
- 3–4 years
- Cost to first job
- Paid apprenticeship
- Salary per month
- €1,950 – €3,370
- Season
- Season April–Oct, harbour year-round
Entry route: Apprenticeship in boatbuilding, shipping or tourism · Last updated: 15/10/2026. No liability is accepted; the linked sources are authoritative.
Duties
- Allocating berths, collecting fees, looking after guests
- Lifting boats with the crane or travel lift, winter storage and dock duty
- Harbour safety, environmental protection and harbour regulations
- Rentals, watersports and excursions in tourism
Career path
- Apprenticeship in boatbuilding, as a boat mechanic, inland boatman or in tourism
- Work on the docks and crane or in harbour administration
- Harbour master, appointed by the authority in Austria
- Managing a marina or a watersports business
Certificates and recognition
In a harbour, a skipper licence for the relevant waters and a radio certificate usually count; in Austria the harbour master is appointed by the authority.
Harbour master
Harbour masters allocate berths, collect fees, look after guests and are responsible for the crane, travel lift and safety in the harbour. Duration and cost of training depend on the country and the waters.
- Germany
- We know of no dedicated apprenticeship; boatbuilding, shipping or watersports experience are the usual routes.
- Austria
- Harbour masters are examined, appointed and sworn in by the authority. Requirements include citizenship of an EEA state and a licence for the relevant waters (AMS).
- Switzerland
- We know of no dedicated apprenticeship; boat mechanic EFZ and boatbuilder EFZ are a good foundation.
Sources:1
Where to train
- Training companies and vocational schools for boatbuilding, boat mechanics (CH) and inland navigation (AT)
- Tourism schools and training companies in tourism
- Examination bodies for leisure licences and radio certificates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
We deliberately name no individual schools and receive no commission. Before booking, check that the provider is approved for the certificate you need and for the flag state.
Salary
| Position | Per month | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Harbour master (Austria) | €3,370 | Gross starting salary, Austrian collective agreement (2025), 14 payments (AMS) |
| Inland waterways boatman (Austria) | €1,950 – €2,870 | Gross starting salary, Austrian collective agreement (2025), 14 payments (AMS) |
| Travel agency assistant (Austria) | €2,160 – €2,290 | Gross starting salary, Austrian collective agreement (2025), 14 payments (AMS) |
Austria: gross starting salary under the collective agreement, 14 payments (AMS). There are no official figures for harbour staff in Germany or Switzerland.
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Sources
Official bodies, certificate issuers, salary guides and statistics. The current version of each source always prevails.
- AMS Berufslexikon – HafenmeisterIn (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- AMS Berufslexikon – Matrose/Matrosin für Binnenschifffahrt (retrieved on 15/10/2026)
- AMS Berufslexikon – ReisebüroassistentIn (retrieved on 15/10/2026)